Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Union Minister of External Affairs Shri Subrahmanyam Jaishankar attended the award ceremony of ASEAN- India Hackathon 2021 along with Ministers and dignitaries from ASEAN countries. The Hackathon concluded with more than 300 students, mentors, and officials participating from 10 ASEAN countries and India.
Addressing the participants of Hackathon, Union Education Minister said, “I would like to first congratulate all, for successfully completing the first ASEAN-India Hackathon. I am very thankful to all ASEAN countries for participating in this first-of-its-kind initiative. For the last 3 days, all 54 teams have worked really very hard on 11 problem statements and I was informed by juries and mentors that they are very happy with the quality of work done by participants during this Hackathon. The ASEAN - India Hackathon is well aligned with the vision of ASEAN - plan of action on science, technology and innovation  2016-2025”.
Shri Pokhriyal applauded the focus of the Budget on innovation and entrepreneurship and stressed on boosting the research ecosystem through the Prime Minister Research Fellowship, SPARC, STRIDE, IMPRINT and other research schemes.
Shri Pokhriyal said under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the bond between India and ASEAN countries in the field of education, science and technology has strengthened. One of the main objectives of this hackathon has been to encourage working for sustainable development while creating employment to make our nations Atma Nirbhar. Today India and ASEAN countries have become perfect examples of energy, synergy and international collaboration for other countries to emulate. If the human resources and natural resources of India and ASEAN countries are properly utilized, then a new dimension will open for the betterment of humanity and the world, he added.
The Minister of External Affairs Shri Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated that “ASEAN India Hackathon offers a unique platform for our youngsters to put their minds and energies together. It is an excellent means to inculcate cooperative spirit among the participants and also exposes them to diverse viewpoints, cultures and work ethics. cutting across national boundaries.”
Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman AICTE said, "It is a moment of pride for us to successfully conclude the first-ever edition of ASEAN-India Hackathon. In the last four days, we have seen how students developed solutions to address the challenges in the ‘Blue economy’ and the education sector. Students meticulously designed innovative solutions in the field of Blue Economy with the help of Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, AIS Data and Real-Time Data monitoring.”
The program concluded with the announcement of Prizes for the winning teams, runner ups and encouragement awards for other participating teams.
The following dignitaries from ASEAN countries also attended the award ceremony of ASEAN- India Hackathon.
⮚ H.E Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman, Minister of Education, Brunei.
⮚ H.E. Mr. CHEA Vandeth, Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Cambodia.
⮚ Her Excellency, Datuk Seri Dr. Noraini Ahmad, Minister of Higher Education, Malaysia.
⮚ H.E. Mr. Lawrence Wong, Minister of Education, Singapore.
⮚ H.E. Dr. Anek Laothamatas, Minister, Ministry Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, Thailand.
⮚ H.E. Prof. Ir. Nizam, Director General of Higher Education of Ministry of Education and Culture, Indonesia.
⮚ H.E. Dr. Phout SIMMALAVONG, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Sports, Lao PDR
⮚ H.E. Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam.
⮚ H.E. Gregorio B. Honasan II, Secretary, Department of Information and Communication Technology, Philippines.
“I congratulate the government of India for organizing an event that gave youngsters a platform to come together and to showcase their talent in these hard times” said Her Excellency, Datuk Seri Dr. Noraini Ahmad from Minister of Higher Education, Malaysia.
His Excellency Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman, Minister of Education from Brunei expressed in his address that “India and ASEAN countries have established a longstanding partnership in many areas including Human Resource Development, Person to Person contact and Education”
“Today’s world faces problems that are on a different level altogether. Facing these problems requires equally novel technological solutions. We are living through a time of rapid change. With the increasing complexity of global relations and ever-changing global economy, we need new approaches to solve our problems.” Said H.E. Gregorio B. Honasan II, Secretary, Department of Information and Communication Technology , Philippines.
The Minister of Education from Singapore H.E. Mr. Lawrence Wong expressed that “At some point, this pandemic will be over. But the problems we face do not end there. Climate change remains a matter of concern for the world and especially for the ASEAN countries. We need to come together in the same spirit, as we did to fight against Covid 19”
The participating students from ASEAN and India were very happy with the opportunity provided by Indian Ministry of Education.
Syahshiyah Rohidah, a student participant from Indonesia said that “It was really an adventurous ride since past few days, I am getting to know new people and collaborating with them. His team proposed a solution on “Quantification of Marine Litter using Image Processing”
SEUN Siuphinga student from Cambodia said that “This hackathon has been a first of its kind experience for her”
Đinh Thanh Hiền, a student participant from Vietnam “I enjoyed this hackathon process and looking forward for more chances to participate in such international events”.
Clarisse Johanna Solis, a student participant from Philippines “The process was rigorous time consuming but interesting, It was truly a great and worthwhile experience” She expressed that wish to visit India when borders resume.
The ASEAN-India Hackathon-2021 aims at enhancing the cooperation between India and ASEAN countries in science, tech and education. All the ASEAN countries participated in this unique initiative of providing innovative solutions to overcome the challenges under two broad themes of Blue Economy and Education. Student teams from all the 10 ASEAN countries as well as India participated in this ASEAN-INDIA Hackathon. These teams comprised of 330 students and 90 mentors. The students were divided in 54 cross-country teams, where each team consists of six students and two mentors. These diverse teams competed on developing the best solution for 11 problem statements provided by various reputed organisations and government bodies.
The Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell and the All India Council for Technical Education in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs  and ASEAN countries organized the first ASEAN-India Hackathon. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Hackathon was conducted online using a digital platform, indigenously developed by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell.